Tennessee Schedules Execution of Death Row Inmate Christa Pike

Tennessee prison officials have scheduled the execution of death row inmate Christa Pike by lethal injection at 10 a.m. CT on September 30 at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. Pike, 50, will become the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. She will also be the first person put to death in the state for a crime committed at age 18 since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976.

Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 1995 torture and killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. The crime, often referred to as the “Jobs Corps Murder,” was committed alongside her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp. Shipp was 17 at the time and is eligible for parole in 2031. A third teen admitted to being an accessory and received probation.

Governor Denies Clemency Request

Pike’s legal team and various advocacy groups, including Death Penalty Action and the ACLU, petitioned Tennessee Governor Bill Lee for clemency. They asked him to commute her death sentence to life in prison without parole. Advocates highlighted her history of severe childhood trauma, s*xual abuse, and mental health struggles, as well as her youth at the time of the offense.

However, Gov. Lee announced his decision not to intervene. “After deliberate consideration of Christa Gail Pike’s request for clemency, and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene,” Lee said in a statement.

Pike’s attorneys expressed deep disappointment over the decision. They argued that the state was dismissing decades of research regarding adolescent brain development and the diminished culpability of an 18-year-old suffering from extreme trauma. Her defense team also appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of execution.

Details of the 1995 Case and Execution Protocol

During the 1995 murder, Pike, Slemmer, and Shipp were fellow Job Corps students in Knoxville. Prosecutors stated that Slemmer was lured to the University of Tennessee campus, where she was beaten with a chunk of asphalt. Pike kept a piece of the victim’s skull as a souvenir and later showed it to other students. Pike was arrested three days later and convicted in 1996, making her the youngest woman on death row in modern U.S. history at the time.

Under the Tennessee Department of Correction’s lethal injection protocol, strict security measures go into effect at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution 12 hours before the scheduled time. The process involves transferring Pike, restricting facility access to essential personnel, serving her final meal at midnight, and utilizing pentobarbital under the supervision of the warden and an injection team leader.

As of late September 2026, 39 individuals remain on Tennessee’s death row. The last recorded execution of a woman in Tennessee occurred in 1820, when Martin Eve was executed by hanging.

Frequently Asked Questions About Christa Pike

When is Christa Pike scheduled to be executed?

Christa Pike is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at 10 a.m. CT on September 30 at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee.

What was Christa Pike convicted of?

Pike was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1995 torture and killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville.

Why is this execution historic in Tennessee?

Pike will become the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years, as well as the first person put to death in the state for a crime committed at age 18 since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976.

Did Governor Bill Lee grant clemency?

No. Governor Bill Lee reviewed the clemency petition and announced that he would uphold the sentence and not intervene to stop the execution.

What happened to Pike’s co-defendants?

Her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, was 17 at the time of the crime and received a life sentence with the possibility of parole, making him eligible in 2031. A third teenager who acted as an accessory received probation.